Circuit arrangement for current supply



2,885,550 R MORE y 1959 J. J. RONGEN v CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR CURRENT SUPPLY TO ONE 0 ELECTRON TUBES BY MEANS OF A TRANSISTOR Filed July 27, 1955 R O m mm 3 W I A H t O J w v B w A J AGENT United States Patent CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR CURRENT SUPPLY TO ONE OR MORE ELECTRON TUBES BY MEANS OF A TRANSISTOR .lacobus Johannes Rongen, Eindhoven, Netherlands, as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to [North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N .Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1955, Serial No. 524,789

Claims priority, application Netherlands August 16, 1954 9 Claims. (Cl. 25027) ice the rectifier 4 and thus supplies the required positive anode voltage for the tubes 5, 6, The winding 9 may thus have a smaller number of turns for producing the same total voltage that is necessary in the aforementioned prior application. A secondary winding 11 of the transformer 2 is then connected again in series with a limiting resistor 12 between the electrodes e and b. As an alternative, the base electrode b may be connected, if necessary through the resistor 12, to a tapping of the winding9, so that the winding 11 is eliminated. i

In the modification of Fig. 2, as in the aforementioned prior application, a resistor 13 is included in the series circuit of the rectifier 4 for producing the negative grid bias voltage of a tube 14. The negative voltage pulses across the resistor 13 vary in such a high, preferably super audio frequency rhythm that a grid input circuit 15 constitutes only a low impedance for these voltage pulses.

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit arrangement for supplying current to an electron discharge tube having a heater, a control electrode, and a biased electrode, comprising a junction tranplication Serial No. 442,774, filed July 12, 1954. The

invention has for its object to provide a modification of this arrangement which permits the use of a transformer having a smaller amount of turns.

In accordance with the present invention, one terminal of the said current source is connected to the collector and the other, via the primary winding of the transformer, to the emitter of the transistor. The pulsatory voltage across the said primary winding, if desired in addition to the voltage across another transformer winding is supplied to the said rectifier.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the circuit arrangement of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a modification of the circuit arrangement of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows a p-n-p transistor 1' which is caused to generate by aperiodic feedback via a transformer 2, so that across the transformer 2 are produced voltage pulses which supply the anode supply voltage for a plurality of electron tubes 5, 6, via a rectifier 4. The transistor 1 is fed from a source 7, which supplies at the same the filament current for the tubes 5, 6 Thus a circuit arrangement is obtained, which utilizes the favourable properties of electron tubes and which may, if desired, comprise further other transistors, for example for amplifying purposes, while only one supply source 7 of low voltage is required, which implies a considerable economy of cost in the operation.

According to the aforementioned prior application the collector of the transistor 1 is connected via the primary winding of the transformer 2 to the terminal of the source 7, so that across this primary winding negative voltage pulses are produced. In order to produce the required positive anode voltage for the tubes 5, 6, the-transformer must be provided with a separate winding, across which positive voltage pulses are produced.

' According to Fig. 1 of the present invention, however,

sistor having emitter, collector and base electrodes, a source of supply voltage having positive and negative polarity terminals for supplying the heater current of said tube, a first inductive circuit connected in series with said source of supply voltage between an emitter electrode and a collector electrode of said transistor comprising a first inductive winding, a second inductive circuit interposed between said emitter electrode and a base electrode of said transistor and comprising a second inductive winding, said collector electrode being connected directly to the negative polarity terminal of said source and said emitter electrode being connected to the positive polarity terminal of said source through said first inductive winding, said windings being inductively coupled in feedback relationship thereby producing current flow between said emitter and collector electrodes for a given time interval deter mined by the inductance and a resistance of the said first inductive circuit and producing interruption of the said current flow for a second interval determined by the natural resonant frequency of said first inductive Winding, said first inductive winding having a natural resonant frequency substantially greater than the periodicity of current flow' between said emitter and collector electrodes whereby an impulse voltage having a value substantially greater than the value of the voltage of said source is produced at said emitter electrode simultaneously with the interruption of said current flow, and output circuit means coupled to said emitter electrode and responsive to said impulse voltage, said output circuit means comprising a rectifier, means for connecting said rectifier in series hethe collector c of the transistor 1 is connected to the I negative terminal of the source 7 and the emitter electrode e is connected through a primary winding 8 of the transformer 2 to the positive terminal of the source. Thus across the primary winding 8 is produced a positive pulsatory voltage, which, in addition to the pulsatory voltage across another transformer winding 9, is supplied to tween said first inductive winding and the said biased electrode of said electron discharge tube, a capacitor shunted across the series connection of said rectifier and said first inductive winding, and a resistive element con nected in series between said first inductive winding and the positive polarity terminal of said source of supply voltage thereby producing a negative bias voltage for the said control electrode of said electrode discharge tube.

2. A circuit arrangement for supplying current to an electron discharge tube having a heater and a biased electrode, comprisinga junction transistor having emitter, collector and base electrodes, at source of supply voltage having'posit'ive and negative polarity terminals for] sup-j plying the heater current of said tube, a first inductive circuit connected in series with said source of supply voltage. between an emitter electrode and a collector electrode of said transistor comprising a first inductive winding, a second inductive circuit interposed between said emitter electrode and a base electrode of said transistor and comprising a second inductive winding, said collector electrode being connected directly to the negative polarity terminal assaseo of said source and said emitter-electrode being connected to the positive polarity terminal of said source through said first inductive winding, said windings being inductively coupled in feedbaclt relationship thereby producing current fiow between said emitter and collector electrodes for a given time interval determined by the inductance and a resistance of the said first inductive circuit and producing interruption of the said current flow for a second interval determined by the natural resonant frequency of said first inductive winding, said first inductive winding having a natural resonant frequency substantially greater than the periodicity of current flow between said emitter and collector electrodes whereby an impulse voltage having a value substantially greater than the value of the voltage :of said source is produced at said emitter electrode simultaneously. with the interruption of said current flow, and output circuit means coupled to said emitter electrode and responsive to said impulse voltage, said output circuit means comprising a rectifier, means for connecting said rectifier in series between said first inductive winding and the said biased electrode of said electron discharge tube, a capacitor shunted across the series connection of said rectifier and said first inductive winding, and a third inductive winding connected between said emitter electrode and said rectifier, said third inductive winding being inductively coupled to said first inductive Winding in voltage augmenting relationship.

3. A circuit arrangement for supplying current to an electron discharge tube having a heater, a biased electrode and a control electrode comprising a junction transistor having emitter, collector and base electrodes, 2. source of supply voltage having positive and negative polarity terminals for supplying the heater current of said tube, a first inductive circuit connected in series with said source of supply voltage between an emitter electrode and a collector electrode of said transistor comprising a first inductive winding, a second inductive circuit interposed between said emitter electrode and a base electrode of said transistor and comprising a second inductive winding, said collector electrode being connected directly to the negative polarity terminal of said source and said emitter-electrode being connected to the positive polarity terminal of said source through said first inductive winding, said windings being inductively coupled in feedback relationship thereby producing current flow between said emitter and collector electrodes for a given time interval determined by the inductance and a resistance of the said first inductive circuit and producing interruption of the said current fiow for a second interval determined by the natural resonant frequency of said first inductive winding, said first inductive winding having a natural resonant frequency substantially greater than the periodicity of current flow between said emitter and collector electrodes whereby an impulse voltage having a value substantially greater than the value of the voltage of said source is produced at said emitter electrode simultaneously with the interruption of said current fiow, and output circuit means coupled to said emitter electrode and responsive to said impulse voltage, said output circuit means comprising a rectifier, means for connecting said rectifier in series between said first inductive winding and the said biased electrode of said electron discharge tube, a capacitor shunted across the series connection of said rectifier and said first inductive winding, and a resistive element connected in series between said first inductive winding and one of the termnals of said source of supply voltage there: by producing a negative bias voltage'for said control electrode.

4. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said electron discharge tube has a control electrode,

further comprising a resistive element connected in series between said first inductive winding and the positive polarity terminal of said source of supply voltage thereby producing a negative bias voltage for the said control electrode of said electron discharge tube.

5. A circuit arrangement for supplying current to an electron discharge tube having a heater, a positive biased electrode and a control electrode, comprising a transistor having emitter, collector and base electrodes, a source of supply voltage having positive and negative polarity terminals, a first inductive circuit connected in series with said source of supply voltage between an emitter electrode and a collector electrode of said transistor comprising a first inductive winding having end terminals and a tap thereon, said tap being connected to said emitter electrode, said collector electrode being connected directly to the negative polarity terminal of said source, a second inductive circuit interposed between said emitter electrode and a base electrode of said transistor and comprising a second inductive winding, said winding being inductively coupled in feedback relationship thereby producing a pulsatory current flow in said first inductive winding, said source of supply voltage being connected between said collector electrode of said transistor and one end terminal of said first inductive winding, and output circuit means comprising said electron discharge tube, rectifying means, and means for connecting said rectifying means in series between the other end terminal of said first winding and the said positive biased electrode of said electron discharge tube, the said heater of said electron discharge tube being connected across said source of supply voltage.

6. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a resistive element connected between said base electrode and said second inductive winding.

7. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a resistive element interposed between said one end terminal of said first inductive winding and said source of supply voltage.

8. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a resistive element connected in series between said one end terminal of said first inductive winding and the positive polarity terminal of said source of supply voltage thereby producing a negative bias voltage for the said control electrode of said electron discharge tube.

9. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a resistive element connected in series between said one end terminal of said first inductive winding and one of the terminals of said source of supply voltage there by producing a negative bias voltage for said control electrode.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,938,212 Biven et a1. Dec. 5, 1933 2,144,237 Wohlfarth Jan. 17, 1939 2,306,888 Knick Dec. 29, 1942 2,374,781 Schade May 1, 1945 2,556,286 Meacham June 12, 1951 2,611,111 Larson Sept. 16, 1952 2,620,448 Wallace Dec. 2, 1952 2,750,452 Goodrich June 12, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Pub. I: Transistor Power Supply for Geiger Counters," Electronics, August 1954, received by U.S. Patent Oflice August 2, 1954, pages 144 and 145.

Pub. I I: Application of Transistors to l-lighaVoltage Low-Current Supplies, Proceedings of the I.R.E., November 1952, vol. 40, No. 11, pages 152141523. 

